Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards should be the number one option

Minnesota Timberwolves wing Anthony Edwards came on strong during the second half of the 2020-2021 NBA season and is set-up to have a big second season.

He showed why the Timberwolves chose him No. 1 in last year’s draft and also potentially foreshadowed why he could be the top offensive option going forward.

Anthony Edwards usage rate down the stretch of last season

Anthony Edwards was given the rookie treatment despite being the top overall pick in last year’s draft, meaning that the Timberwolves eased him into the flow of things and did not ask him to do too much.

Edwards posted a 25 percent usage rate before the All-Star break and raised it to 27.6 percent post-All-Star break, which is admittedly something of an arbitrary dividing point. During the month of March, shortly after Chris Finch was hired to replace Ryan Saunders as head coach in late February, Edwards posted a season-high usage rate for not only himself but the entire roster at 30.2 percent.

While Karl Anthony-Towns had a higher usage rate during the second half of the season, it was clearly visible how impactful and involved Finch wanted Anthony Edwards to be. This could be a result of the coaching change, Edwards’ growth over the season, or a mixture of both.

D’Angelo Russell should play more off-ball to allow Anthony Edwards show his full potential

D’Angelo Russell is one of the few solid playmakers the Timberwolves have on the roster.

Although some might think taking the ball out of his hands would be a negative, he is also one of the best shooters on the team, posting a 38.7 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 7.9 long-range attempts per game. Additionally, he shot 39.1 percent on catch-and-shoot 3-point tries.

On the other hand, Edwards only shot 32.9 percent from beyond the arc, averaging 7.2 attempts per game. One can assume that Edwards’ 3-point percentage will increase, but Russell has a six-year track record of being an established shooter in the league.

Edwards running the pick-and-roll with KAT will most likely lead into a variety of different scenarios for the team:

1. Edwards takes the screen and drives to the hole for a layup or dunk.
2. Edwards takes the screen and if the defender goes under, pulls up for a 3-pointer.
3. Edwards takes the screen and dumps it off to the rolling KAT for an easy basket.
4. Edwards takes the screen drawing KAT’s defender and then passes it back to KAT for an open three.
5. Edwards takes the screen and draws multiple defenders, dishing it out to find the open man for an open shot from the perimeter.

Just as we can imagine that Ant will increase his 3 point percentage, we can also see him increasing his dismal 2.9 assists per game mark from last season.

History has shown us that guards/wings dominate today’s game

General managers throughout the league would love to get their hands on a unicorn — an athletic, do-it-all big man like Joel Embiid, Karl Anthony-Towns, or last year’s most valuable player, Nikola Jokic. But the reality is that these types of players are generational talents and a franchise can be only so lucky to obtain one via draft, trade, or free agency.

Clearly, the point here is not that big men are not valuable or important commodities to a team’s roster construction, but if we look at the last two decades, the most important player on each championship team has almost always been a guard or forward.

The last time a big man was the most valuable player on his championship run was the 2011 Dallas Mavericks with Dirk Nowitzki. If you want to argue that he is not your traditional big man, we have to go back all the way to the 2005 San Antonio Spurs and Tim Duncan.

Karl Anthony-Towns and D’Angelo Russell are great cornerstones and leaders to help guide this young core. But putting the ball into Anthony Edwards’ hands may prove to be pivotal to help take this team in the direction that many hope to see come to fruition; winning.